A new wave of urban crime is emerging in Kampala, where suspected criminals using boda bodas are increasingly tracking motorists and robbing them at their homes or during brief stopovers.
Victims say the attackers often follow cars from busy roads, pretending to operate as ordinary riders, before striking at the most vulnerable moments especially when drivers slow down to open gates or make quick roadside purchases.
One of the latest victims, Esther Namale, a nurse at Kampala Hospital and resident of Kiwatule, was robbed at her home gate on Monday, March 30 th, 2026, at around 9:00 p.m.
Namale says the assailants followed her from the main road leading to her home and took all her valuables, sparing her life.
“I didn’t suspect anything. They looked like normal boda boda riders behind me. By the time I reached home and waited for the gate to be opened, they attacked me,” Namale says.
Opio Ibrahim, a security guard attached to a property in that area warns that the tactic relies on patience and routine behaviour, with criminals blending into everyday traffic before identifying targets.
“These criminals’ study individual movements. They follow you quietly and wait for the right moment when you are distracted or vulnerable,” Opio said.
The robbers are said to take advantage of common driver habits, such as stopping to buy groceries or idling at residential gates, where attention is divided and escape options are limited.
Residents have also expressed growing concern over the trend, saying it has created fear among motorists, particularly those returning home late in the evening.
In the latest Annual Crime Report 2024, released by the Uganda Police Force, overall crime in the country dropped by 4.1 percent compared with the previous year.
However, the report also noted that robbery cases increased, rising from 7,772 incidents in 2023 to 8,163 in 2024 showing a worrying shift in criminal activity.
Members of the public are now calling on police to step up surveillance and respond swiftly to the emerging pattern of follow-home robberies.
“We call upon the police to come in and help address these robberies before they get out of hand,” Kenneth Ssenyonga, a resident of Kiwatule states.
Police are yet to issue an official statement on the trend, but security experts advise motorists to remain vigilant, monitor their surroundings, and avoid predictable routines that may expose them to tracking.
